Till My Last Breathe
by music-is-life2009
Summary: Lilliandra always new she and her friend Rayvn were different. She just didn't fully understand until she and Rayvn are locked into Saint Marks behavioral system. There she uncovers a secret that can end everything, but could set her free.


**Hey everyone! So I know I haven't updated my stories for a very long time, and I am not about to list off all my reasons about why. I am however going to be posting yet another new story to help me when I come into writers block. I plan on publishing this book when I finish. I have several parts written already so I am just putting a little taste of it on here to see if anyone is interested in reading more. Without further a due I give you… **

**Summary**

******Lilliandra****and****Rayvn****were****always****inseparable.****That****is****until****they****were****accused****of****attempted****man****slaughter****and****claimed****it****wasn't****them.****It****was****someone****else.****With****claims****of****seeing****things****not****of****this****norm,****Lilliandra****and****Rayvn****were****sent****to****stay****at****Saint****Marks****Mental****Health****Institution.****While****there,****weird****things****start****happening****to****them,****things****they****can't****even****begin****to****understand****yet****alone****explain.****Lilliandra****must****find****a****way****for****them****to****escape****and****to****control****the****powers****they****didn't****know****they****had,****with****the****help****of****Claire,****their****new****'foster****mom'.**

**/**

**Preface/****Prologue**

**Have****you****ever****had****a****dream****where****you****seem****to****be****running,****but****you're****really****going****in****slow****motion?****Where****you****can****scream****at****the****tops****of****your****lungs,****and****not****a****single****soul****hears****you?****And****if****they****do...****well****they're****the****ones****that****had****you****screaming****in****the****first****place.****I****have.****I've****had****that****same****dream****at****least****every****time****I****close****my****eyes.****It****doesn't****even****matter****if****I****am****asleep****in****my****bed****at****night,****if****I****close****my****eyes****the****images****flash****behind****my****eyelids.****Well****I****have****the****chance****to****leave****the****place****of****this****reoccurring****nightmare,****and****yet****I****am****completely****petrified.****Why?****Why****in****the****world****should****I****be****afraid****of****the****place****that****haunts****me****day****and****night?****Well,****it's****also****been****the****place****I****have****stayed****all****my****life.****The****place****I****know****like****the****back****of****my****hand.****You****would****think****of****me****as****stupid****if****you****were****in****my****shoes****and****had****the****chance****at****an****escape.****I****bet****you****would****take****it****in****a****heartbeat,****and****not****take****one****single****look****back.**

**Well****let's****just****say****life****doesn't****always****take****the****course****you****want****it****to.****When****you****think****everything's****going****right,****that's****when****it****all****goes****wrong.****Life's****course****takes****a****sharp****left****turn****and****you're****left****completely****lost.****It's****like****you****bought****this****dream,****a****picture****perfect****one,****but****you****didn't****read****the****small****details****that****came****along.**

**It****all****comes****crashing****down****on****you.**

**Then****yellow****flashes****in****your****eyes;****the****color****of****forgiveness.**

**So****you****look****at****that****yellow****light****and****wonder****what****do****you****have****to****forgive?****Surely****you****didn't****do****anything.**

**Now,****at****this****moment,****none****of****that****matters.****As****I****stare****into****his****green****depths****and****they****bore****into****my****blue****ones.****Time****stands****still...**

**Then****red****flashes.**

**/**

**Chapter****One:****Welcome****to****Saint****Marks**

_Adrenaline,__it's__pumping__through__my__veins.__Hearts__pounding,__palms__sweaty,__feet__swaying.__It__is__truly__amazing,__the__fact__that__my__knees__have__not__gave__way__yet.__Wait.__Why__am__I__so__nervous?__What__am__I__even__doing__here?__Rayvn.__That's__right.__I__need__to__find__Rayvn.__I__need__to__concentrate.__I__need__to__ignore__the__pain__in__my__ankle__and__keep__running__and__looking__until__I__find__her.__But__she__was__with__me__the__whole__time.__In__and__out.__That's__all__that__was__supposed__to__happen.__We__go__in__to__the__house,__look__for__her__mom,__and__then__bolt.__With__or__without__her,__no__matter__what.__That__was__the__deal__when__she__begged__me__to__come__here.__I__don't__even__know__where_**_here_**_is!_

_"RAYVN!__Where__are__you!"_

_Screaming.__I__distinctly__hear__screaming._

_"RAYVN!__Where__the__hell__are__you!__Stop__playing__around.__We.__Need.__To.__Leave...__NOW!"__I__yell__again__getting__ready__to__round__a__corner._

_More__screaming.__And...laughing?__Yes,__that's__definitely__laughing._

_"Ray?__Is__that__you?"_

"Hey, Lill? You alright?" Rayvn nudges me

"Yeah, peachy." I mumble "We're just here at court waiting while the rest of our lives are decided for us. Two seventeen year old girls, beating up a man, and then crying out 'false' accusations, for no apparent reason? Why would we beat up a man for no reason, just for fun? Are they insane? No, but apparently _we_ are."

"Lill, as long as we're kept together I don't care-"

"You know what? The keeper is we don't even remember what happened! All I remember is I was out in some strange neighborhood looking for you, and all I heard was screaming. Then I wake up in a hospital bed, with you occupying the other bed in the room. How can they make a case against us when we can't even tell them our side, seeing as we don't **remember** it? It's not fair. And don't you think they would, along with us, find it weird that you don't remember anything of that night except the time with me, and I don't remember anything after rounding that last corner?"

For that Rayvn had nothing to say, because she knew I was right. This whole thing was crazy. We were being charged of attempted man slaughter. Something we don't even have any recollection of. None of this made sense. Neither of us had any concussions nor damage at all, that would explain the memory loss, so what gives? Without any medical proof they all think we're lying. That we had a little too much to drink and attacked some random guy for fun. I just can't believe it.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Belavine."

"You may be seated. Today we are here to finish the case of Jacob Matthers verses Lilliandra Mastroni and Rayvn VanSyckle. Will the Jury read their verdict?"

"In the case of Jacob Matthers verses Lilliandra Mastroni and Rayvn VanSyckle, we find the defendants guilty."

"Saint Marks? What is that? Some type of Juvenile Detention Center?" I ask bewildered

"No, it's a Mental Health facility Lilliandra." , the social worker, explain "Now don't freak out, it's not as bad as you think-"

"Not as bad as I _think_? It's a _mental__institution_for Christ's sake! How can it not be bad? We're not crazy. Rayvn and I are perfectly fine. Perfectly _normal_. How can they think that we tried to kill that man for fun? We've never gotten into any type of trouble before, ever! This is our first charge against us; wouldn't they normally give us a slap on the wrist and some community service?"

"Yes, well this isn't your typical case. You both claim to not even remember most of the night and the court seems to think that you are undergoing post traumatic stress, which with your ages could develop into something far worse. You're already showing mild mood swings Lilliandra, which is another reason for admitting you into the facility-"

"Institution." I interrupt her

"You could endanger yourselves. Or others. Look, it's the best I could do, would you rather have been sent to a Juvenile Detention Center, where you would be isolated and not be able to see one another?" She asks, looking at the both of us, with a shake of our heads she says "I thought so. Now with that being said we must get you both packed and ready to go. They are expecting you by dinner, so you can get settled in for the night and get fairly acquainted with the place and everyone there."

Later that night when Rayvn and I are finished packing and are almost to Saint Marks I come to the realization that this is all real. Ray and I were really being sent to a loony bin, an _institution_, I just couldn't wrap my head around it. Not even two days ago, we were both at the park with our other friends, laughing, joking around, and now we were being accused of attempted man slaughter? Where did everything go so wrong, why can't we remember anything?

"Lill, we're here." Rayvn says interrupting my inner turmoil.

There before was a place like I've never seen. The place was huge; it looked like it was more suited for a rich politician. An eight story black mansion, fountains and stone sculptures captured your attention in the front lawn. The sight was beautiful.

"Are you sure you have the right address?" I ask the driver

"Yes my lady," He said getting out and opening our doors "Now go on, there expecting you."

"What about our bags?"

"Don't worry my lady; they'll be in your rooms." And with that he sent us off. Once we were put of ear shot I started,

"What is with that guy? Can you say creeper? 'Yes my lady', gosh, what is this the 1900's all over again? We need to think of a plan."

"What do you mean 'a plan'?" Rayvn asks.

"You know what I mean, don't play innocent. We need to escape. Soon. I don't like this place already, it feels weird. We need to get out soon, with or without permission, so we can prove, somehow, that we are innocent."

"We don't even have anywhere to start looking, we don't remember anything! I am not going to risk getting into anymore trouble. We should just stay, ride out our time and-"

"Stay? Ride out our time? What the hell is that? We didn't do anything!" I yell at her

"Well, we don't have any memory, so maybe we did do something." Rayvn whisper.

"Who the hell are you? What happened to all your determination? What happened to wanting to be free of this, you know damn well that we didn't do anything! God Ray, what is with you?"

"I'm scared. I'm scared we're going to get separated, or get into anymore trouble than we are already in, even if we think we didn't do anything."

Before I had a chance to say anything the front door of the mansion opened up. Standing before us was a girl who you would think belonged in the 1900's. She looked about twenty four, with long blonde hair, bright yet guarded blue eyes and a fake looking smile plastered on her face. She was wearing a Victorian age dress, fitted red corset looking body, flowing into a skirt.

"You must be Lilliandra and Rayvn, no? I'm Claire, Claire Denson. You may call me Ms. Denson, or Claire."

"Yeah, I'm Lilliandra; you can call me Lill if you want. This is Rayvn or Ray as I call her."

"Well. It's very nice to know you. Do come in."

As the night went on I began to notice how un…how it wasn't what I expected. For a place that is supposed to be for people who committed crimes, or did something very inhuman, well we had a lot of freedom. We could do anything we wanted, anything at all, except leave the gates that surrounded the perimeters. It was like a resort, for kid criminals. Sorry, but if you didn't sell drugs on the street, or kill someone, then you can't get in here. Complete bad asses only. Ha! I think I just thought of their new slogan. Jeez, this is getting pathetic.

"Excuse me? Ms. Denson? What exactly is the point of this place? I thought this place was, well I thought it was a place of punishment. Shouldn't we be secluded, have no freedom, no access to the outside world?"

"Very good question Lilly, here at Saint Marks, we believe that working with others and having the freedom to make your own choices in a controlled environment will teach you how to channel all the bad. If you can find something to do here to keep you out of mishaps, then surely when you leave and you have more freedom and places to go, then you will be able to do the same. It's all about control you see, you have to be able to control your urges and to tame your… to tame your inner workings."

"I don't understand," Rayvn remarked "What do you mean we have to be able to tame our 'inner workings'?"

"We also believe that some things are to be left unsaid, and to be left for one to work out in their own ways. You will soon adjust to the ways here. You will soon know your reason and you will uncover all that is unclear right now."

"Does no one here speak normally?" I retort

"I apologize," Claire says throwing me a sympathetic smile, like she knows what I mean and how I feel "But I cannot uncover everything to you. They want you all to adapt on your own and uncover things on your own time and way. Once you do understand, then you will understand; only then though."

So? What do you all think? Would you like to read more perhaps? Review and tell me your thoughts! Also this has not yet been revised completely so forgive me for any mistakes in grammar, my BETA went MIA. :p


End file.
